US Ahmadiyya 50Th Jalsa Salana
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In the name of Allah. the Gracious. the Mcn:iful ISIAM, THE PERFECT AND EVERIASTING FAITH FOR MANKIND Almighty Allah says In the Holy Qur'an: , .... , ' . " 1: '1 ... ~ ... 4' 1 /. ~;;;-~ ... "This da) have 1 perfected your religion for you and completed my favors upon you and have chosen for you Islam ())) religion." (5:4) The Holy Prophet (SA) said: Hadhrat Abu Huraira (RAJ narrates that we were silling with the Holy Prophet (SA) when Sura AT-Juma was revealed: "And he will appear among others who have not yet joined the companions of the Holy Prophet (SA)." We asked: "Who are they, 0 Prophet of God." Among us the Salman (RAJ of Persia was sitting. The Holy Prophet (SA) placed his hand upon Salman (RA) and said: "If faith ascends to the Pie ides some men from among these will bring it back to earth." (Bukhari) The Promised Messiah (AS) ttTote: 1 .. ~.~,;·~ ;%vv t'~~ ~_,J~:·j IJ.i'...c~~:.::.,~:~ ... · C';:~__,·_r~,.., ~~~· • • • • ,~ ii_~/·-c Yv~~~.,_,;~ ~(~ 1 ,.,,,,,;1..r~i:-JL?. L . J.Jt(:,JL:"JY AHMADIYYA MUSLIM COMMUNITY, USA SOth JALSA SALANA (Annual Convention) SOUVENIR - June 1998 CONTENTS Contcm/Glos~ary . ........ ... ............ ......... ... .. .. .. .. .. I Hadhrar Mir1a Ghulam Ahmed (AS) •..... • .... .•.•. ......•... ..•. • . 2 The Ahmad1yyn Muslim Community - An lntroduct1on . .. ... .. ... 3 So said thl' Promi,cJ Me,,iah (ASJ . .. .. .. .• .•...... ..... ..... .. .. .. 4 Rai 'at Form I Condillons of Rai 'at .. .. ... ... .. .......... .. .. .. .. .. 6 Khilnfat in Islam ........ ...... ....... .. .......... ........... .. 7 Rc-Estahli<>hmcnt of Khilalat in 1... 1am through the Prrnmscd Messiah (AS) • .. ... • . 8 Hadhrat Khalitntul Mas1h IV (ABAJ A Profile . .. .... .. 9 Keeprng Company with the righteou:-. .... .. .. I0 The Blessings ,rnd Ohjccti\es of Jalsa Salana .. ......... ... .. .......... 11 lntcmauonal J a Isa S.llana UK . ... .... ....... 12 Message from /ladluar Khahfatul Masih IV (AHA ) . • ....... • .. •... .. .. .. .. 14 Some Retlect1on' by Anur. USA (Let us he -worthy) . ....... ... 15 List of Jab.a S.tlana USA . ......... .. 17 Jalm Sala11a USA ( 1948-1998). ... .. 18 1983 llll::>ll Salcma. Rabwah. Pakistan (Centerfold) . ... ..... .... ... .. 4-t Proclamntmns (States. Congress. Counties. Cities) ......... ............... 46 Some Ahmadtyya C'ontrihutiom. and Service' . ............ ............... 53 Message of hlam in USA in the time of the Promised Messiah (AS) . ... ... .... 54 Ahmadiyya Muslim Missionaries in USA . .. .. .. ..... ... .. ........ 56 Ahmadiyya Puhlications in USA . .. .. .. ... .. ......... .. ... 61 Prominent Ahmadi Mu,lim' in USA . .. .. ... .. ......... .... .. 62 l andmarks m the History of Ahmadiyyat in USA ..... .. ... ... .. .. .... 64 Da 'll'at Jlallali m USA ................. ... ... ... .. .... .. .. 68 MTA/lnkmet m North America . .. ...... .. .... ... ... ..... .... 70 Waqf-e Nau in USA . • . 72 Fmanc1al Sacntice!. b) Ahmadi Mu~lim ... in USA . ........ .. 73 Talirik-e-Jadtd in USA . .. .. 76 Waqf-e-Jacl din USA . • . ... .. ... .. 77 UIJna lmaillali USA . ... 78 Ma;lis Anwrulla/i USA . ... ...... ... ... ..... .. ... .. ... .. .. ... 80 Ma;lt s Kli1u/da111-11l-Al111wdi):rn USA . .. .... .. ... .. 82 Mosque\ and Miss10n Houses in USA - Dateline . ... ........ ...... .. ... 84 Current Amir am.I bxe«.:utives in USA .. .. .. ....... .... ...... .. ... 86 Current .lama'ats and Prc,idents in USA . .. ..... ..... ... .. ... ... ... 88 ABA: ayyada Jiu//alw taala benasrelzil a:,ee:, Bai'at: Initiation (May Allah, the Exalted, strenghthen hi~ hands Da'wat /la/Lah: Imitation loward Allah with powerfu l support) HadIt rat: Revered AS: alailri.1 salaam (Peace be on him) Hazoor: His Holiness RA: rad/ii A//alw taala a11'10 (May Allah, the Exallet..I, Jama'at: Community be pleased with him) Majlis-e-frfaa11: Q&A Sessin with Ha.wor RT: raliema lruf/alw taa/a (M:iy All ah, the Exallcd, Mulaqaat: Audience with Hazoor have mercy on him) Qiyyamali: Doomsday SA: sa/ /af/aho a/aihe 11 •a saf/am (May Peace and Tabligh: Preaching Blessings of All ah he on him) ( Ill [) I I Hadhrar Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS), the Founder of the world-wide Ahmadiyya Mu.,lim Community, was horn on 13 Februaryl1935')n Qadian, a small town in Northern India which totally lacked all modem facil ities of communicationwith the rest of the world. Hadhrat Ahmad (AS) received his elementary educa tion at home. Sint.:e hi!> childhood, he showed an extra ordinary indifference to material values and dedicated most of hi!> time either in the study of the Holy Qur'an and other Islamic literature or in supplication to God Almighty. Although he accepted some domestic responsibilities entrusted to him, his lack of interest in worldly affairs remained a matter of deep concern to his father. The aggressive and often offensive Christian and Hindu polemics against hlam and its Prophet (SA) was a mat ter of deep concern and agony to Had/ml/ Ahmad. He was extremely distressed by the vulgarity of the adver saries of Islam and the pitiable state of the Muslim reli gious scholars and masses who were unable to defend the honor of their prophet and the glory of their faith. Had/ma Ahmad (AS) took over the responsibility to defend Islam and its glorious prophet Muhammad (SA). From about 1872 he began to emerge as a reputable scholar, an eloquent speaker and a distinguished preacher of Islam. He began to receive Divine revela tions from God Almighty at the age of 40 which he cou tinued to receive till his last breath. In 1882, he received a Divine revelation that he had been commissioned as the Reformer of the fourteenth century of the Islamic era to re-establish upon the earth the faith which had vanished from it. ln 1889, he claimed that he was the Promised Messiah and Mahdi whose advent in the latter days had been prophesied by the Holy Prophet of Islam, Hadhrat Muhammad (SA). Hadhrar Ahmad's claim to be the Promised Messiah raised a public outcry because the Muslims generally believed that he was to physically descend from Heaven in the person of Jesus Chri<,t (AS). Orthodox Muslim divines condemned him as a disbeliever whose assassination would be an act of high spirirual merit. On 23 March I 889, Hadhrat Ahmad (AS) laid the foundation of lhe Ahmadiyya Mu-.lim Communit}. The signs mentioned in the Old Scriptures and the Holy Qur'an indicated that the Promised Messiah and Mahdi would complete the task of re-establishing the superiority of [slam over all other faith' [n Hadhrat Ahmad (AS) these prophecies were fulfilled. He firmly e<,tablished the superiority of Islam over all other faiths. He passed away on 26 May 1908 in Lahore. 1 llF 111\IADI '\'. ll SI I 1 ('0 t~ll NI f\ \ I I RODl ( 110 The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is a religious orgam1at1on within Islam. international in its scope. which was e5tablished in 1889 by Hadlirut MirTa Ghulam Ahmad (AS) in a small. remote and unknown village, Qadian. in the Punjah. India. He claimed to be the expected reformer of the latter days, the Awaited One of the world community of religion-. and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (AS). The movement he started is an embodiment of the benevolent me-.sage of Islam - peace, universal hrotherhood. and submission to the Will of God - in it!. pristine purity. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was created under divine guidance with the objective of reju venating Islamic moral and spiritual values. Hadlm11 Ahmad (AS) proclaimed Islam as the future religion of man. With this conviction and prediction, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. within a century, has reached the corners of the Earth. Wherever ii is established, it endeavours to exert a constructive intluence of Islam through Islamic publications, construction of mosques, sociul pro jects. educutional institutes, and health services despite being bitterly persecuted in some countries. In pursuance of Islam's true teachings, Ahmadi Muslims have earned the distinction of being a law abiding, peaceful. persevering and benernlent community. The Community cncoumges interfaith dialogue. and diligently tries to correct misunde,-.,tanding.s about Islam in the West. It advocates peace. toler The Promised Messiah ance. lo\'e and under.standing among followers of writes in his book different faiths. It firmly believes in and acts upon Tazkira-tush-Shahadataill the Qur'anic teaching: "There is no compulsion in religion." (2:257) It strongly rejects violence and "O mankind. hearken. This is the lerroriMn in any form and for any reason. prophecy of God Who made the heavens and the earth. He will The Community offers a clear presentation of spread this movement in all coun Islamic wisdom. philosophy. morals and spirituality tries and will give it :-.upremacy as derived from the Holy Qur'un and the practice over all. through rea-,on and argu ( Swuwh) of the Holy Prophet of Islam, Muhammad ment. Remember. no one will (SA). Some Ahmadi members, like late Sir descend from Heaven .... The third century from today will not have MuhJrnmad Zafrullah Khan (RA) (who :-.erved as the first Foreign Minister of Pakistan: President of completed when all those who had the 16th General Assembly of the UNO; President been waiting for Jesus.... will and Judge of the International Court of Justice. at despair of his coming. I came the Hague) and Dr. Abdul Salam (the Nobel only to sow the seed ... It will now Laureate in Physics in 1979). have also been recog grow and blos<,om forth and none dare retard its growth." ni1cd by the world community for their outstanding services and achievements in spiritual and secular (Roo/iani K/wzain 20:67) fiel<l.s. After the demise of its founder, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has been headed by his elect ed successors. The present Head of the Movement, Had/ma Mirta Tahir Ahmad (ABA), was elect ed in 1982 a ... the fourth successor. His official Litle is Khalifatul Masih IV. He has launched sever al social projects to help poor countries in Africa, and under his personal supervision and guidance the Holy Qur'an ha.'> been trnnslated in 52 major languagl!s of the world. He has also initiated a global satellite-hased television program (Mw,hm Television Ahmadiyya) which provides moral and spiritual guidance to millions in more than 150 countries around the clock.